Nick Rowsell Stonecraft

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Nicholas Rowsell was born in Hackney, London on the 17/18th August 1960 during a dry electrical, thunder storm on the dot of midnight. It wasn’t until 1989 that Nicholas discovered stonecarving whilst subcontracting as a stone cladder in Berkley Square, London during the summer of 89’. Having taken home a few small offcuts of the Portland Whitbed that arrived from Dorset each day and also buying two chisels from the resident apprentice for a fiver each , he set about carving these pieces of Limestone and discovered the reason why he was alive.He hasn’t looked back since and has been steadily carving commercially in both the private and public sectors, or adding further pieces to an impressively growing collection of stonework. Nicholas has mastered many differing styles of stonecarving and has stated that . . . .‘Anyone with technical abilities can carve to plan as the rules of where and where not to strike are clearly defined , but there is no substitute for the investment of sheer physical labour when carving directly into stone, investing the metaphysical arcane approach to stonecarving is still the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me’.Once ensconced in Weymouth/Portland He set about amassing a body of work in the indigenous Portland Limestone , carving some 27 pieces . He then organized the Lost Heritage Exhibitions and worked to promote stone sculpture as a viable tourist attraction in that area.In 1998 Nicholas moved to Newcastle to be closer to part of his family who had relocated to the North East some years back. Having sub contracted out his specialist masonry skills to local companies he then took his workshop/gallery called Testhouse 5 situated in the Ouseburn Newcastle. This also doubled as a teaching area for teaching rudimentary stonecarving course to a more advanced level of fine art.With a number of successfully executed public commissions adding to his growing reputation publicity has become a constant with regular articles steadily appearing in both the local and national media.He now lives in Hexham Northumberland and continues to carve the indigenous stone and progresses with current projects interspersed with periods of teaching and public exhibiting.